The promise of constitutional rule was cut short in the 1920s with the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty. Reza Shah, whose despotic rule Azimi deftly captures, maintained the facade of a constitutional monarch but greeted any challenge with an iron fist: "I will eliminate you," he routinely barked at his officials. In 1941, fearful of losing control of the oil-rich region, the Allies forced Reza Shah to abdicate but allowed Mohammad Reza to succeed his father. Though promising to abide by the constitution, the new Shah missed no opportunity to undermine it.
The Anglo-American-backed coup of 1953, which ousted reformist premier Mohammed Mosaddeq, dealt a blow to the constitutionalists. The Shah's repressive policies and subservience to the United States radicalized both secular and religious opponents, leading to the revolution of 1979. Azimi argues that we have fundamentally misunderstood this event by characterizing it as an "Islamic" revolution when it was in reality the expression of a long-repressed desire for popular sovereignty. This explains why the clerical rulers have failed to counter the growing public conviction that the Islamic Republic, too, is impervious to political reform--and why the democratic impulse that began with the Constitutional Revolution continues to be a potent and resilient force.
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The promise of constitutional rule was cut short in the 1920s with the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty. Reza Shah, whose despotic rule Azimi deftly captures, maintained the facade of a constitutional monarch but greeted any challenge with an iron fist: "I will eliminate you," he routinely barked at his officials. In 1941, fearful of losing control of the oil-rich region, the Allies forced Reza Shah to abdicate but allowed Mohammad Reza to succeed his father. Though promising to abide by the constitution, the new Shah missed no opportunity to undermine it.
The Anglo-American-backed coup of 1953, which ousted reformist premier Mohammed Mosaddeq, dealt a blow to the constitutionalists. The Shah's repressive policies and subservience to the United States radicalized both secular and religious opponents, leading to the revolution of 1979. Azimi argues that we have fundamentally misunderstood this event by characterizing it as an "Islamic" revolution when it was in reality the expression of a long-repressed desire for popular sovereignty. This explains why the clerical rulers have failed to counter the growing public conviction that the Islamic Republic, too, is impervious to political reform--and why the democratic impulse that began with the Constitutional Revolution continues to be a potent and resilient force.
Imprint | Harvard University Press |
Country of origin | United States |
Release date | April 2008 |
Availability | Supplier out of stock. If you add this item to your wish list we will let you know when it becomes available. |
First published | April 2008 |
Authors | Fakhreddin Azimi |
Dimensions | 235 x 155 x 35mm (L x W x T) |
Format | Hardcover - Sewn / Cloth over boards / With printed dust jacket |
Pages | 512 |
ISBN-13 | 978-0-674-02778-7 |
Barcode | 9780674027787 |
Categories | |
LSN | 0-674-02778-7 |